Nu feminin allongé 1937

Jean Fautrier made "Nu feminin allongé" with paint and a whole lotta feeling. The painting's surface is like a distressed mirror reflecting something raw, something deeply felt. It's got this palette of earthy reds and browns smeared over a ghostly white ground. The paint looks thick in places, like Fautrier was wrestling with the image, trying to pull it out of some hidden dimension. Look at how the edges of the figure bleed into the background, like it's dissolving or maybe emerging, who can say? There's a beautiful tension here, between presence and absence, form and formlessness. This reminds me of Guston who was also finding new ways to use the figure to create a sense of unease and uncertainty. It's like these artists are reminding us that art doesn't always have to be pretty or easy, it can be messy and complicated, just like life itself.